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David Gilmour - Live in Gdańsk CD (album) cover

LIVE IN GDAńSK

David Gilmour

 

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4.22 | 195 ratings

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Einsetumadur
Prog Reviewer
5 stars 14/15P.: an emotional journey through time. I might be biassed since Pink Floyd is my favorite band, but this concert is absolutely gorgeous - from the first to the last minute.

In Germany, Gilmours latest and first live album was released one week ago - a complete recording of Gilmour's last concert of his 2006 tour in Gdansk (Poland).

In this recording, Gilmour plays his complete On An Island album, plus several Pink Floyd tracks which represent most of the Pink Floyd albums, dating from 1967 to 1994. Although Live in Gdansk isn't that much different from the audio of "Remember that Night", Gilmours first DVD of the On An Island tour, I can highly recommend the album to all those who love Pink Floyd. Because of the orchestra that takes part here a lot of the songs get a very nice symphonic feeling, and the really great versions of classics like Echoes or High Hopes with two of the Pink Floyd members (David Gilmour and Rick Wright, who died last week) is highly enjoyable.

A thing that a lot of people critizised about Gilmour's 2006 album On An Island is that the sound is somehow overly lush. The live versions are much better and include great improvisations which have a lot more edges than the original recordings - but with the orchestra creating the somewhat nostalgic 'journey-through-time'-atmosphere which the listener already knows from the studio versions. Because of that - and the change of the places of 2 songs ("Take A Breath" appears at a different place) - I would say that this recording is the definite rendition of the On An Island album - a really great bunch of compositions and a good follow-up to The Division Bell. Nonetheless the "Remember That Night" DVD version is actually the definitive one because it features the gorgeous vocal harmonies by Crosby & Nash as well as Robert Wyatt on cornet, and the album works surprisingly well without the orchestra.

Regarding the Pink Floyd pieces I have to admit that the 2006 versions are equivalent to the original recordings. Without Waters and Mason it's a pretty different affair, but I listen to both versions regularly and enjoy them all the same. This modern and fresh, but absolutely tasteful sound is quite useful for the songs, especially Echoes which - on par with High Hopes might be the artistic peak of this concert. I also love the addition of Wots Uh The Deal to the setlist, a beautiful Roger Waters song from the underrated Obscured By Clouds album. The song isn't featured on CD, but can be downloaded from the internet if you own the 2CD+DVD version. Needless to say, the musical quality is excellent; the musicians have their fun - and so do I. High quality performance, and without this slightly sterile atmosphere of the PULSE tour.

In my opinion, 5 stars are just right for that fantastic and really essential album which is as emotionally intense as the Pink Floyd discography; the Pink Floyd feeling is apparent. And because of this I bet that every listener of Pink Floyd or David Gilmour will enjoy this recording, especially if you have not been to the 2006 (which might be the biggest mistake I have ever made); the DVD is also very good, but unfortunately doesn't contain the complete concert. As a bonus it is quite ok, but Remember That Night, the double DVD from the Royal Albert Hall concert, pretty much fulfils the needs.

Einsetumadur | 5/5 |

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